Total Depravity 17

When Jesus met Nicodemas in John 3, the Lord indicated that regarding man’s depraved condition, sinful, fallen man is spiritually blind. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, ESV).

Jesus also told this ruler of the Jews that sinners are alienated from God because of their sin. “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:5-6, ESV)

Jesus also taught that the sinner is spiritually dead. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25, ESV).

Jesus explained that fallen man is incapable of coming to God by his own will.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44 ESV). “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. (John 6:63-65, ESV).

The Lord also explained that sinful man is a slave to his sin.

Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. (John 8:34; 44-45, ESV).

John also records Jesus’ teaching that the sinner is deaf to God’s Word. “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word” (John 8:43, ESV). “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God” (John 8:47, ESV).

In the upper room the night before the His crucifixion, Jesus taught the disciples that the world would hate them. This hatred is because of the world’s love of sin.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause’ (John 15:18-25, ESV).

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It is most proper to begin a study of the “solas” by first examining the importance of Sola Scriptura. This is because the remaining “solas” rest upon the premise of the Scriptures being God’s sole and final authority. Therefore, the subsequent “solas” rise or fall on the basis of Sola Scriptura.

There were two causes for the Protestant Reformation: a material cause and a formal cause. The material cause was a dispute over the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Sola Fide). The formal cause was the disagreement over biblical authority (Sola Scriptura). The Reformers coined this phrase, Sola Scriptura, but certainly not this doctrine, when they rejected the two-source view of authority; meaning that the authority of church tradition is equal to the authority of the Scriptures.

Sola Scriptura is fundamentally opposed to relativistic individualism. In a culture wherein the individual reigns supreme, and churches pander to “keep the customer satisfied,” the doctrine of Sola Scriptura states that all individual ideas and behaviors must be in submission to, and aligned with, Scripture. This opposes those in the church, and the culture, who justify their sinful behavior, and consequently their disobedience to Scripture, with a self-centered perspective wherein the individual’s desires are preeminent.

The Alliance is a coalition of pastors, scholars, and churchmen who hold the historic creeds and confessions of the Reformed faith and who proclaim biblical doctrine in order to foster a Reformed awakening in today's Church.